As the sun went down on the night of 9/3/13, I was wondering if J, K and L pod would leave for the open ocean, as they were certainly acting like they might. In the morning though, I looked out my window to see the L54's, as well as other orcas who were all heading North up the West side of San Juan Island.
L54 matriline members Keta L117, Ino L54 and Indigo L100 heading North. Nyssa L84, Wave Walker L88 and Coho L108 were not far behind.
Soon after, I was aboard the "Odyssey" of San Juan Excursions, as we left Friday Harbor and headed North up to Henry Island. J pod, and a few K and L families had made their way up to Henry, but others had decided to stay along the lower West side of San Juan Island. During the encounter we were with a socializing group made up of the J11's, J14's, J16's, K14's and L54's.
Lobo K26, born in 1993. He is from the K14 matriline.
Lobo does an aerial scan!
Keta L117, born in 2010, with adult male Blackberry J27, born in 1991. Blackberry is from the J11 family.
Lobo K26 again.
Coho L108, born in 2006,. He is part of the L54 matriline.
A female does an inverted tail slap.
Echo J42, born in 2007, swims on her side with her pectoral fin in the air.
At this point a large school of Pink salmon came around to the boat, many of them jumping. All those matrilines we had been watching disappeared underwater and a few minutes later popped up were the salmon had been. Many seagulls began to gather like they were trying to pick up scraps, as if the orcas actually had been feeding. There also seemed to be some prey sharing going on between two orcas; Echo J42 and her older sister Alki J36, born in 1999.
Now, the Southern Resident orcas don't eat Pinks, only Chinook salmon. We have always hoped that they would began to eat Pinks though as there are so many of them and we have depleted the Chinooks so much, leaving the orcas with almost nothing to eat anymore. Instead of schooling together now, Chinook here tend to hide in schools of other types of salmon. Maybe that is what was happening and the orcas found a few Chinook and left the Pink alone, or maybe, just maybe, they went after that school of a few hundred Pinks and are learning to be less picky. One can only hope!
Now, the Southern Resident orcas don't eat Pinks, only Chinook salmon. We have always hoped that they would began to eat Pinks though as there are so many of them and we have depleted the Chinooks so much, leaving the orcas with almost nothing to eat anymore. Instead of schooling together now, Chinook here tend to hide in schools of other types of salmon. Maybe that is what was happening and the orcas found a few Chinook and left the Pink alone, or maybe, just maybe, they went after that school of a few hundred Pinks and are learning to be less picky. One can only hope!
One of the Pink salmon from the large school jumps into the air!
Samish J14, born in1974, with a couple of seagulls.
Samish is grandaughter to 102 year old Granny J2.
 It's not a party. . . |  . . .until Samish get active! |
Ti'lem I'nges J49, born August 6th, 2012. He is great great grandson to Granny J2.
Echo J42 plays with some bull kelp. Echo is from the J16 family.
Wave Walker L88, born in 1993. Originally from the L2 matriline, he now calls the L54's family home after becoming the last surviving member of the L2's.
As we were leaving the orcas, we saw male Indigo L100, born in 2001, begin to mate with female Eclipse J41, born in 2005. At their ages, they both are still a little too young to be mating but for the first time ever, I could actually see thrusting! Glad Indigo wants to help repopulate the Southern Resident population though, we need all the calves we can get and hopefully in the future he can help us out with that!
Please do not use my photos without permission. Just ask :)
Please do not use my photos without permission. Just ask :)
